Inside Out
by xXBalorBabeXx
Summary: Nightmares are supposed to be just that... but what happens when they don't stay as nightmares? (Co-written with Cry-Of-A-Warp-Engine)
1. Nightmare Turned Real?

**A/N: This story has very dark content in it, reader discretion advised. Credit to Brookeworm3 for the nightmare in this chapter.**

 _ **1/22/16, WWE NXT Taping scheduled to air 3/2/16…**_

A yawn escaped her mouth and Finn and Adrian turned their attention to Amanda, who was halfway into sleep.

"Maybe you should get her on back to the hotel… I'm sure they won't mind." Adrian said quietly, Finn nodding and helping Amanda up… her migraine hadn't budged and both knew it.

At the hotel, Amanda was settled next to Finn after both got dressed for bed… and before she knew it, she saw Roddy.

"Kiddo, go to sleep. You look like death warmed over." Roddy whispered, Amanda closing her eyes…

 _Amanda was seventeen years old and was staying in a room with Chris Benoit, who was trying to hide how he was feeling from her… she was curled up in her bed, unaware what he had in mind._

 _Chris sat on the edge of her bed and moved her hair out of her face, Amanda nuzzled into his hand and sighed. He smiled slightly and rubbed her back, Chris leaned over and kissed Amanda's forehead whispering, "I love you, little one."_

 _He got up and stood in front of the mirror. Looking back at himself was not the man he knew, getting in the ring 24/7 and showing the world, who Chris Benoit was, taking hits that were too dangerous was what he did, but now he didn't know now._

 _But he did know that he didn't need to be here anymore… Chris brushed his tears away and turned to his surrogate daughter after grabbing the weapon from his bag._

 _He lifted the gun and whispered, "I'm sorry." He pulled the trigger and shot Amanda in the head. Chris started to sob and put the gun to his head. "God forgive me." He cried before a loud BOOM! echoed and he slumped to the floor…_

Amanda woke up screaming in terror, Finn taking her into his arms after waking up, rubbing his hand up and down her back.

"It's okay, shh… it was just a bad dream, Mandy, you're okay." Finn whispered as he noticed how pale she looked and was holding her head.

She put her hand to her mouth and bolted out of the bed, Finn following her and holding her hair back as she threw up… both were unaware of Dianne outside the door with Enzo, the two trying to bust it down in panic.

"Go get Hunter!" Dianne responded, Enzo running down the hall and pounding on the door to Hunter's hotel room.

"What is it, what's wrong?!" Hunter asked after pulling the door open in a frenzy.

"We just heard Amanda screaming and throwing up her guts!" Enzo answered frantically.

Hunter followed him and busted the door down, running in and looking into the bathroom… Amanda was curled up back first to the granite countertop, knees tucked to her and Finn lightly brushing her hair back. Being cautious, Hunter walked over and crouched down to Amanda, resting a hand on her shoulder.

"Mandy… was it about Chris?" Hunter asked quietly… Amanda motioned her fingers and thumb into a gun and shakily pointed it at her own head before pointing it to where Chris's was in the nightmare.

Amanda repeatedly cried out "I'm sorry." even as Finn took her into his arms, rubbing his hand up and down her back… she reached her arms out and around him, accepting the hug as Hunter reached up. Grabbing a washcloth, he ran it under cool water, turned the sink off and handing the cloth to Finn before finding Dianne and Enzo.

"I was similar for… many nights after… this." Dianne said, raising her prosthetic leg up at the end. "I don't think I got a single full night of sleep in 6 months, and even after that it was nearly another year before I went even a week without at least one night of terror."

"Eventually it catches up with us… any kind of trauma." Hunter replied, Finn helping Amanda up and her washing her face before rinsing her mouth out with mouthwash before spitting it out and closing the bottle. Amanda felt Finn's right arm wrap around her back and looked at him.

"I didn't mean to wake anyone…" Amanda said quietly. She turned to go grab her things but Finn stopped her and pulled her into his arms, Amanda hugging him out of instinct. "You won't let me be alone…" She whispered.

"Not while you're all scared and upset like this… never in a million years, Mandy." Finn replied, his hands bracing onto her back as they hugged.

They let go and headed back into the room, Finn helping Amanda lie down as Dianne walked over and her and Amanda hugged. Enzo walked over and they did the same thing before they left, Hunter kissing Amanda's forehead.

"It still upsets you…" Hunter whispered.

"I'd be more upset if we didn't talk about them at times. They were our friends, our family… they were a major part of our lives for years, Hunter. It's not right to not remember the good times… but the bad times are still there." Amanda responded, Hunter reaching over and tucking some of her hair behind her right ear.

"I know, kiddo and it's not fair." Hunter said as the two hugged.

When it was only Finn and Amanda in the room, Amanda was in Finn's arms and he looked over at her when he realised how quiet she was… her hazel eyes were closed but her face was still red and splotchy, Finn brushing her hair back.

"No more crashing into hell by yourself… I'll keep you from falling, lass." Finn whispered before kissing Amanda on her forehead and falling asleep himself.

Unable to sleep, Enzo and Dianne found themselves in the hotel bar.

"No wonder she doesn't talk about him all that much… she was just 17 when it happened." Dianne said quietly after looking the tragedy up itself.

"She was… not much older or younger than you when…" Enzo replied.

"18, I was… by only three days." Dianne confirmed with a nod. "And neither of us will ever forget either moments."

Enzo was about to respond when both heard it.

"All that damn screaming, surprised none of us have gone deaf or haven't bought earplugs yet!" Alexa muttered, Enzo keeping Dianne from charging at her… but that was only for a second as Dianne walked over and threw Alexa's drink at her, the petite blonde and red ombre haired diva turning shocked and then Dianne yanked Alexa up to her feet by her hair, making Alexa yell out in pain.

"You are so quick to pre-judge, aren't you?! How about I pre-judge you and use that running blade of mine to snap your neck, how would you like that?!" Dianne growled, holding Alexa where she was stood.

Alexa managed to get free and escape, Enzo helping Dianne sit down.

"That woman just… even looking at her pisses me off!" Dianne muttered as she rested back against the chair, Enzo clasping one of his hands around hers.

"If she has any sense somewhere, she'll back off." Enzo replied.

But it was more or less wishful thinking at this point.


	2. Toll On The Mind

Amanda slowly opened her eyes when it was morning, seeing that Finn stayed with her throughout the night. She tried to talk but her throat felt like sandpaper, Finn rubbing his left hand up and down her back.

"Hey… give it a minute and then have some water, you've probably got a throat drier than a camel's back, wee lass." Finn said quietly.

Amanda nodded and rubbed her face, Finn helping her sit up and handing her a bottle of water after opening it. Amanda drank it slowly, taking a breath after drinking half of it.

"All that screaming hurt…" Amanda responded, her lungs sore as well.

"I expect it did… but sometimes we just can't hold it all in, that dream was terrifying to even hear about." Finn replied, lightly rubbing her back.

Amanda leaned against him after finishing the water, Finn finding the thermometer and putting it in her ear… the thermometer beeped, Finn pulling it away from Amanda and seeing that Amanda's fever had edged off but only to 100.9° from 101.3°.

"Not going away completely, is it?" Amanda asked as Finn helped her lie back down and readjusted the covers over her.

"Not by much… it'll take time, you know that. We've all had our share of headaches, fevers and all the illnesses of the… of something with a list, in our times." Finn answered, pausing and playing up his words a bit as a joke.

Amanda smiled slightly, stretching her legs out a bit as a knock sounded at the door. Finn stood up and opened it, letting Aestrid and Adrian in.

"Hey. Any better?" Adrian responded after the door closed, walking over to Amanda and kissing her on the side of her head.

"A little bit, but not much… these things take a long while to cool down." Finn answered, as he reached over and turned off the lighting, since daylight was now shining in through the window.

Amanda looked up towards the edge of the bed and for a split second, she jumped as she thought she saw something, Finn walking over and sitting down and rubbing his hand up and down her back as Adrian and Aestrid looked at each other, having seen the fright in Amanda's eyes.

"That nightmare really shook her." Aestrid said quietly.

Downstairs, Dean and Roman looked at their phones and then at each other.

"Okay, I'll vocally admit it… we're both worried about Mandy." Dean replied.

"No kidding… she's been too damn quiet." Roman responded in agreement.

"She's on the fifth floor, last I checked." Dean said as they stood up and headed to the elevator… when they got into it, they saw an exhausted Dolph Ziggler. "Man, you look like hell. Rough night?" He questioned as the doors closed.

"Poor Mandy was screaming and from what Dianne said, she got sick last night." Dolph replied, Dean's and Roman's eyes widening.

"What room is she in?!" Roman asked.

"518." Dolph responded, the elevator stopping on the fifth floor and the two exiting it. Reaching the room, Roman knocked on the door and Aestrid opened it and let them in. She closed the door, a half asleep Amanda looking at Roman and Dean as they sat down.

"No loud noises and that, you already know this." Aestrid said, returning to where she'd been sat before, on the edge of the windowsill.

"Guys-" Amanda responded, Roman lightly brushing his hand against her hair. She flinched slightly but he knew from what Dolph said that it was from the aftereffects of the nightmare.

"We're staying here with you, end of story kiddo." Roman said, Dean reaching over and resting his hand on Amanda's forehead.

Amanda dozed off into sleep, beginning to relax…

 _Amanda found herself in the ring before the show was set to begin… the young diva hadn't had an easy day and that was visible to the deceased wrestler stood outside the ring, Chris climbing up to the apron and into the ring before walking over and crouching down in front of her._

" _Why am I here? Why did I have that nightmare?" Amanda asked as Chris lightly cradled her face in his hands. "You still look like you did the last time I saw you… the last events you were in and I never saw it coming. Why did I ignore the warning signs, Chris? I lost you three because I didn't pay attention to anything being wrong… I should've done something." She said, Chris pulling her into his lap and getting her to look at him._

" _Look at me… you didn't do anything wrong, sweetheart, I'm not mad at you and I never will be." Chris responded._

" _Then why did I have that nightmare? I had nightmares in the immediate aftermath but never that bad." Amanda said as she rested her head on his right shoulder._

" _No one can control them, kiddo… I'm so sorry, little one." Chris whispered…_

Amanda opened her eyes, Finn lightly brushing her hair back.

"It's okay, lass… just rest." Finn said quietly, Amanda doing so.

At the next NXT taping she was cleared to attend, Amanda had a cold rag on the back of her neck as it calmed her down… but as she was dozing off again, a sudden smack on her head jarred her into awareness.

"Oh, shove off. Don't you see that I still feel like hell?" Amanda muttered, Alexa turning from confused to annoyed.

"Yeah, like you always do when I try to talk to you, how fucking convenient." Alexa responded.

"Go pester your fiance!" Amanda snapped at her, Alexa jumping a bit.

"Something happened, what was it? Nightmare?" Alexa taunted, unaware that Amanda's eyes were rapidly flickering between hazel and blue.

Amanda jumped up, tackled Alexa and trapped her in the Disarmer while yelling in French… Alexa screamed and tried to claw at Amanda but the brunette tightened the hold until she was pulled off by Finn and Alexa stood up.

"You want to know?! Have you ever had a horrific nightmare about your best friend shooting you and then himself, bitch?! Have you?!" Amanda yelled as Alexa backed up, rubbing her badly aching left arm… and frightened badly as Amanda's voice wasn't the same.

Alexa left in a hurry and slammed the door and Amanda felt herself being turned to Finn, his hands cradling her face.

"Everytime I close my eyes, I see him there with that gun… I can't stop seeing it. I lost myself back then when I lost them… why don't you see me as broken? That's how they see me." Amanda whispered once she was back to normal as she rested her hands on Finn's wrists before the two held each other.

Reaching the locker room she shared with Murphy, Alexa walked in and closed the door behind her and examined her bruised arm as Murphy walked to her.

"What happened?!" Murphy asked.

Alexa had no idea how to explain what she had just witnessed.


End file.
